Hovering over "Buy"... care to sanity check my thinking?!

[brumster]

Does Mach3/LinuxCNC send actual gcode to a motion controller though? I thought not? It interprets the gcode on the PC, then some plugin relates that to wire signals that are specific to your motion controller (via a plugin on Mach3 for example) and then the motion controller converts that to the relevant pulses/etc...?

[Clive S]

Does Mach3/LinuxCNC send actual gcode to a motion controller though? I thought not? It interprets the gcode on the PC, then some plugin relates that to wire signals that are specific to your motion controller (via a plugin on Mach3 for example) and then the motion controller converts that to the relevant pulses/etc...?

No I was over simplifying it the Mach3 converts the gcode to pulses which then goes to the PP or motion controllor

[brumster]

Understood, thanks

Contemplating whether to make my own drivers and motion controller, but sounds like the latter is out! Too much coding effort anyway, I see there's an open source one out there and the code alone took 4 years of development... so no, I won't be going that route :)

[Clive S]

Understood, thanks

Contemplating whether to make my own drivers and motion controller, but sounds like the latter is out! Too much coding effort anyway, I see there's an open source one out there and the code alone took 4 years of development... so no, I won't be going that route :)

Good drivers are essential as they also take account of resonance, current control etc If you buy decent drive they can of course be used again if you decide on a bigger machine

[brumster]

Most I've seen seem to be configurable via jumpers or DIP switches so, presumably, as long as they can match the voltage and current ranges of the motors, presumably I can overspec on them now and re-use... makes sense. Ta

[Clive S]

Most I've seen seem to be configurable via jumpers or DIP switches so, presumably, as long as they can match the voltage and current ranges of the motors, presumably I can overspec on them now and re-use... makes sense. Ta

Motors are generally run at much higher voltages than the data sheets typical nema23 (low inductance) motors are run at about 68V with AM882 drives setting the current with the dip switches